This Deranged New Campaign Ad Creeped Us Out!

Summary

The Bulwark Podcast: “This Deranged New Campaign Ad Creeped Us Out!”

Date: July 21, 2026
Panel: JVL (host), Sarah Longwell, Will Sommer (author of the False Flag newsletter)

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Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on the bizarre yet revealing saga of right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, chronicling her abrupt pivot on the Russia-Ukraine conflict—and exploring the motivations behind such shifts among MAGA-aligned personalities. The hosts critically examine the authenticity and impact of Loomer's about-face, dissect her place in the pro-Trump media ecosystem, and swap stories about her relationships, rivalries, and real (if unusual) influence. The tone is skeptical, incisive, and irreverent, mixing serious media analysis with the podcast’s characteristic wit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Laura Loomer’s Sudden Russia-to-Ukraine Pivot

• Background: Loomer, long a mouthpiece for anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia MAGA talking points, publicly recants after a Ukraine visit ([00:44–01:49]).
• Quoting Loomer:
  • “I was living in a media echo chamber, and I was propagandized by Russian media on social media... On day one, I’ve already seen photos of dead priests in Bucha... I realized Ukraine and Zelensky aren’t the jihadi apologists, but Russia and Putin are. I was wrong. I have a responsibility to correct the record.” [00:44–01:49]
• Panel Reaction:
  • Sarah: “No lies detected in this narrow frame... I think it’s good when people apologize... but maybe we don’t need a wholesale reevaluation of Laura Loomer.” [01:49]

2. Is the Shift Genuine—or Paid For?

• The hosts repeatedly question the sincerity of Loomer’s conversion, suggesting possible financial motivation.
  • JVL: “When you see a social media influencer change their mind, my first question is always, are they getting paid?” [00:00, 03:08]
  • Will: “The head of RT tweeted, ‘well, well, well, I see Laura has switched sides’... She claims she hasn’t been paid. I think probably, you know, the evidence suggests she has.” [03:38]

3. Personal Motivations: Trump & Israel Over Principle

• Will asserts Loomer’s top concerns are unwavering loyalty to Trump and a deeply pro-Israel stance:
  • “She’s seen Trump really become more hawkish on Ukraine... She recognizes that her greatest enemies—Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson—are also aligned with Russia. That’s also what’s driving her.” [04:11–04:46]
  • Sarah: “She comes by the Israel stuff, I think, honestly. But I think the about face has a little bit to do with wanting to... position herself as the anti-Tucker...” [04:52]

4. Loomer’s Social Standing: True Influence or Terminally Online?

• The team debates Loomer’s actual influence versus her outsized notoriety in internet circles.
  • JVL: “Is there a constituency for Laura Loomer?” [06:58]
  • Will: “She appeals to a certain woman who… likes her because she’s brassy… often Jewish themselves, … ultimate Trump fighter.” [07:44]
  • Sarah: “She does not come up [in focus groups] the way Tucker and Candace do… She is considered more in terminally online spaces than in mainstream ones.” [08:24]

5. Loomer’s ‘Adult in the Room’ Moments—With Caveats

• JVL, half-seriously, argues Loomer is more mature than some of her peers, citing:
  • Breaking up a Kari Lake shouting match at a TPUSA party. [09:56–10:47]
  • Warning Trump not to take a plane from Qatar. [10:50–11:10]
  • Criticizing Trump’s Surgeon General pick, Casey Means. [11:10–11:39]
• Will pushes back, highlighting Loomer’s anti-Muslim bigotry, shifting rationales, and personal agendas:
  • “We have to mention her insane hatred of Muslims. Right? I mean, obviously that’s not good.” [11:39]
  • “She often seems to have an ulterior motive.” [11:53]

6. Loomer vs. Marjorie Taylor Greene: MAGA’s Odd Blood Feud

• JVL flags the irony of Loomer and Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) being “the two consciences of MAGA” while despising each other. [12:35]
• Will recounts Loomer's infamous claim in sworn court testimony that MTG “likes to put sandwiches in her pants,” a bizarre feud moment referenced for its absurdity and display of intra-MAGA animosities:
  • Will: “She said, ‘Marjorie Taylor Greene likes to put sandwiches in her pants.’” [13:26]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On influencer rebrands:

  • JVL: “When you see a social media influencer change their mind, my first question is always, are they getting paid?” [03:08]

• On Loomer’s tribe:

  • Will: “She appeals to a certain woman who… likes a good party in a tight dress… loves the flash and glitz, the tackiness of MAGA world, but also loves that she throws punches.” [09:12]

• On online influence vs. the real world:

  • Sarah: “We’re no longer in an era where people read. We're in an era where people follow people on Twitter. Laura Loomer, she knows how to beef, man.” [09:42]

• On MAGA’s ‘grown-ups’:

  • JVL: “Laura Loomer is one of the grown ups… She’s above the median for normal somehow in Trump too.” [11:10]

• On Loomer’s (in)consistency:

  • Will: “Directionally, sometimes she is right. And certainly in the world of like, MAGA personalities, probably more right than Benny.” [12:24]
  • Sarah: “Judge them by the totality of their works. The totality of their works are quite awful. Just because they are correct here or there doesn’t make them [good].” [13:36]

• On the MTG sandwich feud:

  • Will: “She said, Marjorie Taylor Greene likes to put sandwiches in her pants. That’s what I meant by that.” [13:26]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:44–01:49] — Loomer’s Ukraine apology post quoted and discussed
• [03:08] — Are influencers paid for ideological turnarounds?
• [04:11–04:52] — Trump’s influence on Loomer’s new stance
• [07:44–08:24] — Loomer’s actual audience, focus group insights
• [09:56–10:47] — Loomer breaks up Kari Lake party incident
• [13:26] — Loomer's “sandwiches” quip about MTG recounted

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Conclusion

This episode offers a wry, revealing look at the oddities and undercurrents of pro-Trump media, using Laura Loomer’s latest about-face as a lens for examining influencer incentives, the fractured MAGA establishment, and the spectacle of political grifting. The hosts balance skepticism, mockery, and genuine analysis—leaving listeners with sharp insights into the personalities and power struggles roiling America’s right-wing media sphere.

Transcript

[A]

I am sorry to have to ask this, but when you see a social media influencer change their mind. My first question is always, are they getting paid?

[B]

Or did they stop getting paid?

[A]

Or did they stop getting paid?

[B]

Did Russia stop paying her?

[A]

Hello, everyone. This is JVL here with my best friend, Sarah Longwell. My esteemed colleague Will Sommer, author of the False Flag newsletter, sitting in for Tim Miller, who's on vacation. We have a show packed with wonders and delights, and believe me, Laura Loomer is the best part of it. We're going to start with her. I'm not even going to make you wait. Normally, I would tease and make you wait for the good stuff.

[C]

Not today.

[A]

Laura Loomer is maybe the biggest grown up left in MAGA at this point. I'm Ron Burgundy. This is. We're going to begin with Laura. Laura has some things she wanted to get off her chest this week. Here's a headline from the Kyiv Post. Pro Trump influencer Lara Loomer visits Ukraine, changes tone on Russia. She had a long Twitter post about this, and she says that she was. I'll just read to it. I was living in a media echo chamber, and I was propagandized by Russian media on social media to believe those things. I came to Ukraine to see the country for myself. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. On day one, I've already seen photos of dead priests in Bucha murdered by Russia. And I saw the mass grave where the bodies of murdered Christians were placed after Russia sent forces from. From Chechnya to massacre innocent people. Who are the Nazis. Hmm. She has an emoji there. I was lied to for years. I realized Ukraine and Zelensky aren't the jihadi apologists, but Russia and Putin are. I was wrong. I have a responsibility to correct the record.

[B]

No lies detected in this narrow frame right here. But, yes, good, good. Like I've always said, I think it is good when people apologize. I think it is good when people change their positions. They are given new information. I don't know that we require a wholesale reevaluation of Laura Loomer in light of this information, but maybe Will Summer has a different opinion.

[C]

Well, look, I mean, I've spent many years of my life pondering what goes on in Laura Loomer's brain. You know, her motivations. And, yeah, about a few weeks ago, she. She had traditionally, for the past several years, been very, like, anti Ukraine, anti Zielinsky. You know, all the kind of classic, you know, MAGA talking points. You know, Zelensky's living high on the hog. All the. All these various allegations. And then a few weeks ago, she suddenly was like, wait a minute. I mean, she'd even written for rt, all this stuff. Suddenly she said, I've been brainwashed. I'm giving it all up now. She's very like, slava, Ukraine. This is very like 2022. She went to a. So now she's in Ukraine, and she went to a McDonald's that was, like, hit by Russian drones. And she said, you know, this being, you know, the right way, a lot of focus on women's appearance. She said, I don't normally order fast food, but I will order, you know, a Big Mac and a Diet Coke. You know, Ukraine is part of the west, all of this stuff. So it's been a real about face.

[A]

Well, I. I am sorry to have to ask this, but when you see a social media influencer change their mind. My first question is always, are they getting paid?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Or did they stop getting paid?

[A]

Or did they stop getting paid? Maybe not. Maybe this is totally unfair to Laura Looma. I don't know. But, you know, it does seem like what we've heard from our friend Ashley Sinclair and all sorts of people, that there is a lot of paola in the world of, like, Maga, Twitter. Yes.

[C]

Well, and to Sarah's point, I mean, the head of RT tweeted, well, well, well, I see Laura has switched sides. Yes. So I think in her case in particular, I would not rule it out. She has, you know, as I've documented in False Flag, she's taken a lot of kind of weird policy angles. Politico had a story about how she was, like, up in the muck in these various kind of schemes regarding, like, Venezuelan oil exports. She claims she hasn't been paid. You know, I. I think probably, you know, the evidence suggests she has. In this case, I think I. So I can't rule out any payments. She has also really been embraced by the Ukrainian government. Zelensky's office said, you know, it's very important that we welcome Laura. On the other hand, I think there's maybe a more personal motivation here. I mean, for Laura, I think there's two things that are really most important in the world. Israel, and it's kind of slavish devotion to Donald Trump. And I think, number one, she's seen Trump really become more hawkish on Ukraine, saying they can manufacture Patriot missiles, all these things. And so she recognizes that her greatest enemies opposing Israel, people like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, they are Also aligned with Russia. They're visiting Russia, speaking very positively about Putin. So I think that's also what's driving her.

[B]

Can I just second that? That was my take also, is that Boomer is.

[A]

Oh, it's all about Israel.

[B]

No, I think. No, it's about Tucker. I think she is trying to position herself very much as the anti Tucker. And so if Tucker is anti Israel and pro Russia, I think Loomer's move is to be pro Israel, anti Russia. Now, she comes by the Israel stuff, I think, honestly. But I think the about face has a little bit to do with wanting to. And also, Tucker and Candace, you may like, they are now on the outs of Trump's inner circle. And so this is a good way, I think, for her to continue to position herself as relational to Trump, but also because that is where Laura Loomer does make her money. Laura Loomer does have more information than often reporters and other people because she does have. Trump takes her on trips sometimes. And the only thing I'll say is that to the extent that there's America first and MAGA establishment, the one thing I can't puzzle out, Will, is there's no home for her in the MAGA establishment. Like, she's still Laura Loomer. So she's not. It's not like Marco Rubio is suddenly like, Laura, what have you, you know, come be part of our Mike Johnson. And maybe not. Maybe they will just because Trump talks to her. But she seems to be carving out sort of an odd space. But I do think it is maybe just like I am in proximity to Trump, and therefore that is enough.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, look, she is in this position, as you said, where, you know, she's kind of alienated herself from a lot, from, like, the Grapers. I mean, she used to be tight with Nick Fuentes. Not anymore. People like Tucker. Candace, on the other hand, as you said, she really doesn't have. It's not as though the GOP establishment is going to welcome her in. So for a long time, really has been. She has a connection to Trump and that's it. And she has that because she is like his number one diehard fan who will never go against him. And so, you know, whether it was Trump wanted to hire her for the campaign in 2024, and then Susie Wiles or Marjorie Taylor Greene were like, no, you can't do that. That's why she sued Bill Maher for saying she was having an affair with Trump, precisely because that got her kicked off the plane. So, you know, she'll do anything to stay on Trump's good side. And as he gets back on board with Ukraine and Zelensky, I think that may explain also what's going on here.

[A]

I have a question for both of you, and maybe neither of you can answer it. Is there a constituency for Laura Loomer? Like, is there a baby? I mean, I understand that there is a. An elite constituency among, like, other influencers who pay attention to her because she is a figure somehow. That's the thing that's gotten. But Art, I don't know, like, if you're drawing up, like, actual people in MAGA world, people who vote for Donald Trump or. Or are very online or what? Like, because it seems like, I don't know, like, there ain't a whole lot of popular support for what she's selling. But I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

[C]

I think there is. Weirdly enough. I think you're right. It's. I don't think there.

[A]

She doesn't have a podcast where you can point to. She gets 10 million viewers a week.

[C]

Yeah, so she has a podcast, because that's famously. She ate dog food to promote one of her sponsors. Right. So. So she does have a podcast. It's definitely not like, Candace Owens or Tucker level, but I think, you know, when she ran for Congress, I was talking to some law Laura Loomer super fans, and I think she appeals to a certain woman who would kind of, like, they like her. She's. She's brassy. You know, I mean, often I think they're. They're Jewish themselves. So she's just like kind of a much more mainline Trumpian, you know, like, she's the ultimate Trump fighter. And I think there is an audience that likes that.

[A]

Sarah, have you ever had somebody in a focus group who is like, boy, that Laura Loomer, I like that girl.

[B]

You know, she's aces. It's true. She does not come up the way Tucker and Candace do. Like, she is not. She is very terminally online, and I think she is considered more in terminally online spaces than in mainstream ones. And this is why, when I write a piece about Candace Owens, I'm like, this has gone mainstream, guys. Like, she comes up both sides of the aisle from people. She is being listened to unironically by lots of people, but also, as a matter of entertainment. That's not true of Laura Loomer. I do think that Will is right, though, that, like, and this is the part of our media fragmentation is. You can imagine the Laura Loomer listener who is maybe like from South Florida. Likes to. Likes. Likes a good party in a tight dress, but also. And is.

[C]

But.

[B]

And loves, like the flash and the glitz, the tackiness of Maga world, but also loves that she throws punches. Loves that she's like, they're not trad wives. They're more. They're a different breed of something that's more like, Boy, I don't quite know how to describe this.

[C]

Maybe like Anne Coulter.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, but it's like a new wave Ann Coulter thing. Yeah, Ann Coulter's a good corollary from a different era.

[A]

At least Ann Coulter could sell books. You know, that's what I'm getting at. Like, I just. I don't.

[B]

But that's because that's from an era when people read. Right? Like, like, we're no longer in an era where people read. We're in an era where people follow people on Twitter. And I think Laura Loomer, she knows how to beef, man. And I think that so did Ann Coulter.

[A]

So I would like to. I don't want anybody to get the idea that I am anti Loomer, because I'm not. I'm here to make the case to the two of you. You guys can tell me if I'm wrong that Laura Loomer is one of the grown ups. And as evidence, Exhibit A. When our buddy Tim Miller was at a TP USA after party in 2024, a impaired Kari Lake came up and started just screaming at him. And it became like a whole thing. There were stories written about this and whatnot. And the voice of reason in this story was Laura Loomer, who came over to Carrie Lake like an adult and said, yeah, okay, sure. No, we don't like. Tim, what are you doing? Come on, let's go.

[C]

Let's.

[A]

Let's go.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And broke the whole thing up.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

This is a thing that happened.

[B]

Yeah, I know it is. I know it is, but there's a different stream. Hold on.

[A]

I'm not done. I'm not done. That's only Exhibit A, Sarah. Exhibit B. When the Qataris handed Donald Trump a gigantic airplane and said, here, use this thing for. For your Air Force One. Laura Loomer said, no, don't do that. That's a bad idea. Why are you doing that?

[B]

Because it's self evidently a bad idea.

[A]

Exhibit C. When Donald Trump nominated Casey means the crazy lady to be Surgeon General of these United States, Laura Loomer said, this is ridiculous. Don't do this. Laura Loomer is anti Candace. Candace Owens, super popular. Megyn Kelly is trying to not beef with, with Candace. Laura Loomer is all in on that. I'm just saying, like, I don't know, she's above the median for normal somehow in Trump too.

[C]

If I could reject there. I mean, I think, you know, number one, we have to mention her insane hatred of Muslims. Right? I mean, you know, so, you know, obviously that's not good. You know, I think you're often making the correct point. In the case of the Qatar plane, she did back off of it when Trump was like, I don't think you get it. I really want this nice plane. And then also, I mean, there is a, she often seems to have an ulterior motive, like the Casey Means thing. You know, there were a lot of accusations from the Maha people that she was like, in the pay of big pharma somehow. It was a weird, weird one. You know, she was saying Casey Means is doing witchcraft. All this so often the, the criticism, I, I, I don't think maybe the motivation, I don't agree with. But, but I think directionally sometimes she, she is right. And certainly in the world of like, MAGA personalities, probably more right than Benny.

[B]

Okay, but hold on. Can we just, just to put JBL in the context of. I view Laura Loomer much like I view Marjorie Taylor Greene and her.

[A]

That's what I was waiting for you to bring up.

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

Because this is the big problem, Right. How can it be that the two, the two consciences of Maga in the year of our Lord 2026 hate each other because Laura Loomer and MTG have a blood feud.

[B]

They're not serious.

[A]

Do you remember what it was that Laura Loomer said about Marjorie Taylor Greene and sandwiches? Do you recall that?

[C]

Yes, it was put in sworn court testimony, in a deposition. Yes. This isn't the Bill Maher lawsuit. And she said because she was essentially the opposing counsel was making a point. Well, can't you sometimes speak figuratively about someone sort of, sort of a funny way without it being true? And they said, you said, Marjorie Taylor Greene has Arby's in her pants. What did you mean by this? And of course, she's saying Marjorie Taylor Greene is promiscuous. It's the implication that it's roast beef. And so instead Laura said, well, it was my understanding that she likes to put sandwiches in her pants. And so, you know, she stuck to

[A]

my best knowledge and belief that was a fact. Marjorie Taylor Greene likes to take sandwiches from, from Arby's and put them into her pants. That's what I meant by that.

[B]

Yeah. I think. Jbl, I think this can be answered in the broken clock, right twice a day vein of these people, where I do think, to Will's point, you should judge them by the totality of their works. And the totality of their works are quite awful. Just because they are correct here or there doesn't make them and the fact that they hate each other, I think is, is again, because this is much more about proximity and influence, proximity to Trump, influence over the Republican Party than it is about having, like, a position they care about.

[A]

So, look, I have consistent.